Classic Turkish Cooking

by Ghillie Basan

With clear, detailed instructions, author Ghillie Basan describes the way in which Turkish food is prepared and defines the spices and ingredients that lend it its unique flavors.

This unique collection of traditional dishes from the Anatolian heartlands and classical recipes from the Palace kitchens of the Ottoman sultans includes mouthwatering meze and fresh, light salads; succulent casseroles with dried and fresh fruit; aromatic pilafs dotted with pine nuts; unforgettable vegetable dishes - including a selection of dolmas (stuffed vegetables); and, of course, desserts from sweet and syrupy pastries to refreshing ice creams and sorbets. They are low in fat and high in vegetables, fruits, and grains -- a style of eating perfectly suited to today's health-conscious cook.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction, Food and Drink

224 pages, Hardcover

Published April 15, 1997

About the author

I am a writer, broadcaster, and food anthropologist with fingers in several pies! As a single parent living off the beaten track in the Scottish highlands it is the only way to survive. In the media, I have been dubbed ‘The Original Spice Girl’ and ‘World Food Expert’ but really I’m simply a hospitable hermit! I love to live a little bit wild but I also love to share what I have.

I spent my childhood in East Africa and my teenage years in Scotland, followed by a Cordon Bleu Diploma in London and a degree in Social Anthropology from Edinburgh University. After working and travelling in Europe, Turkey, the Middle East, North America, India, Southeast Asia, and vast chunks of Africa as an English teacher, journalist, and food and travel writer, I returned to the Scottish Highlands. Here, in a remote part of the Cairngorms National Park I have gradually turned a ruined croft into a home where, snowbound in winter with a 3 mile cross-country ski to and from the car to bring in supplies, I have raised my children on my own.

Abridged from Ms Basan's website

Reviews

[Trudy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A detailed guide to Turkish cuisine with a unique collection of traditional recipes including appetizing meze, tempting salads and vegetable dishes, hearty stews, fragrant pilafs and classic desserts. The recipes reflect the remarkable diversity of Turkish cooking and are not only delicious but also low in saturated fat, high in vegetables, fruits and grains—a perfect example of healthy Mediterranean eating.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The dolmasi are a favourite from this recipe book. They were a favourite in Turkey and continue to be so. They are more spiced than the Greek versions and that suits me better.
Some items require more cooking skill than I have and some would have been better left as I remembered them from Turkey. However, there were certainly enough good ones to make my diet more interesting for a while yet.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this after a trip to Turkey; I love the food and wanted to explore further. A beautiful and informative book.

[Juliana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this book. Mostly because it uses standard measures unlike the other Turkish cook books I own. A number of good recipes- not too difficult to pull off. Good for those who love eggplant.